The present application relates generally to an improved data processing apparatus and method and more specifically to mechanisms for modifying existing recipes to incorporate additional ingredients or replace existing ingredients.
Various computer based systems exist for assisting people with the organization of their cooking recipes for quick retrieval and use. These computing systems are essentially database systems that store data and retrieve the data in response to user requests.
Recently, International Business Machines (IBM) Corporation of Armonk, N.Y., has released an intelligent cooking recipe application referred to as IBM Chef Watson™. IBM Chef Watson™ searches for patterns in existing recipes and combines them with an extensive database of scientific (e.g., molecular underpinnings of flavor compounds) and cooking related information (e.g., what ingredients go into different dishes) with regard to food pairings to generate ideas for unexpected combinations of ingredients. In processing the database, IBM Chef Watson™ learns how specific cuisines favor certain ingredients and what ingredients traditionally go together, such as tomatoes and basil. The application allows a user to identify ingredients that the user wishes to include in the recipe, ingredients that the user wishes to exclude, as well as specify the meal time (breakfast, lunch, dinner), course (appetizer, main, dessert), and the like.
The IBM Chef Watson™ has inspired the creation of a IBM Chef Watson™ food truck, a cookbook entitled Cognitive Cooking with Chef Watson, Sourcebooks, Apr. 14, 2015, and various recipes including a barbecue sauce referred to as Bengali Butternut BBQ Sauce.